SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 1 – © Copyright of SSG
Sree Santhosh Garments Corporate Sustainability Report 2009-10
Sewing Prosperity
First Sustainability Report
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Index Page no.
Chairman’s Foreword 3 to 4
Our Vision and Mission Statement 5
Report Scope 6 to 7 Company Profile 8 to 12 ED’s views on sustainability and its context to the company 13 to 15
Key Highlights 16 to 18 Corporate Governance 19 to 21 Management Systems and Certifications 22 to 24 Stakeholder Engagement 25 Key Performance Indicators
- Disclosure of Management Approach 26
- Economic KPI’s 27 to 28
- Disclosure of Management Approach 29
- Environment KPI’s 30 to 33
- Disclosure of Management Approach 34
- Social, Labour and HR KPI’s 35 to 41
Glossary of terms 42 Annexure: Annex I- Business Code of Conduct 43 to 45 Annex II- List of Certificates 46 to 47 GRI Content Index 48 to 51
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Chairman’s foreword
“The future depends on what we do in the present”- Mahatma Gandhi
We started our business two decades ago in a humble way. Today, we have achieved substantial
growth in terms of products, profit, market coverage and work force. Our sustainable growth can
be greatly attributed to our values, ethics and principles.
Adapting to the new changes in technology, understanding the market needs and no
compromise on the quality of our products have been the pillars of growth for our organization.
We are aware of our actions and understand its impacts on the various aspects of society and
importantly, environment. We have slowly evolved to implement measures to reduce the
environmental problems, forced labour and child labour issues which are the dioramas which
spring out when people speak about Tirupur District and the textile industry in particular.
Being a good corporate social citizen we understand the importance of a balance between profits,
environment and community. We believe the balance between triple bottom line performances is
the key for the sustenance of our business on the long term. We respect the community in which
we operate and have great concern towards the environment and see sustainable development as
an essential business practice. Our compliance to various international voluntary standards like
SA 8000, ISO 9001, Fair Trade, Organic Exchange, Global Organic Textile Standards and few
more stand as testimony to our commitment towards sustainable development. Notwithstanding
the above, we do realize that there are certain areas to be improved, water management is one
among them. Rain water harvesting, monitoring water consumption and water usage patterns,
minimizing the purchase of water are some of the identified areas for further improvement.
The Financial Year1 (FY) 2009-10 (April 1st, 2009 to March 31st, 2010) has been a mixed bag for our
company. The global economic recession, fluctuations in the global market, power shortage and
increase in raw material costs had considerable effect on our company, but we have weathered
these conditions and have produced encouraging numbers and results. Market dynamics and our
conviction to have diversified products have led to products which can be differentiated as
organic and non-organic products. The total production of garments in the reporting period was
576.48 tonnes which constituted of 19% of organic and 81% non-organic products. During the
1 Indian Financial Year
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reporting period our net exports increased by 30% and in the next FY 2010-11 we are planning to
achieve 50 to 60% increase in our net exports. Our commitment towards a better tomorrow has
resulted in us investing in wind farms. As on date, we have a total of 24 Wind Energy Generators
(WEGs) installed with a total capacity of 11.175 MW.
We are glad to present Sree Santhosh Garments’ first sustainability report “Sewing Prosperity”.
The report provides a broader insight into the way we conduct our business and the principles
with which we operate. The report illustrates our company’s journey so far, our views on various
issues related to sustainability, challenges we face and our triple bottom line performance. We
look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions regarding our first sustainability report.
Thank you,
Mr. Chandra Mohan. C
Chairman
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Our Vision and Mission
Vision and Mission statement of Sree Santhosh Group Companies is as follows:
Our vision:
To be known and recognized as a progressive and dynamic textile unit, ever ready to
meet the evolving need of customers and society.
To be number one trusted supplies and service provider with an uncompromising
attitude towards global quality standards.
Our mission:
To produce and supply world class products, to provide the best of the best in customer
service and offer true value for money in the industry to ensure that our yarn is rated as
the best in terms of efficiency, in hosiery performance and fabric appearance.
In order to achieve the above objectives, the company is committed to adhere to the
following principles and practices.
Always one step ahead in implementing and adopting technologies.
Meeting the demanding needs of customers and exceeding their expectations.
Ensuring total customer satisfaction by delivering goods and services with consistent
quality and cost effectiveness.
Enabling satisfactory go through profitable growth.
Building and nurturing a healthy relationship with everyone associated with the
company.
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Report Scope and Profile:
The report is primarily focused on our entire supply chain (upstream only). We have covered and
collated the information for reporting for the following business entities:
1) Sree Santhosh Garments (SSG);
2) Shri Santhosh Meenakshi Textiles Pvt. Ltd (SSMT) Unit 1 and 2;
3) Santhosh Textile Process;
4) Wind Power business.
The entities a fore mentioned are family owned business houses. The processes involved in all the
three entities are illustrated below:
This being our first endeavor to publish a sustainability report, we have put forth our best efforts
to represent factual and balanced information for our stakeholders. Our reporting period is from
April 1st 2009 to 31st March 2010. The report has been developed based on the Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI) G3 guidelines. Sree Santhosh Garments (SSG) would be the entity responsible for
publishing the sustainability report.
Self Declaration:
In our own assessment we have achieved a B Level of compliance with the GRI G3 reporting
guidelines. This report is being forwarded to the GRI team to get the application level check
done.
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Feedback:
We value your suggestions:
We have a great deal of work ahead and we can take pride in what have been accomplished until
now. This is first time that we are sharing our non-financial performance footprint with you. We
would like to hear from you on our approach towards sustainability. You can mail your
suggestions/views to me at [email protected]. I promise to give personal attention
to the same.
Mr.Vinoth Kumar. C
Executive Director
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Company Profile
The Company started as a small town garment manufacturing company in the year 1986 in
Tirupur District, Tamil Nadu State, India and after years of learning we have grown to be one of
the respected export houses. In the succeeding years we started exports to the United States and
European Countries. We have gained knowledge through our experience and have scaled to new
heights which we had envisioned when we started the company.
Gradually we have expanded our production facilities to match the ever growing market
demands and eventually have transformed into a renowned world-class backward-integrated
garment manufacturing company, and into one of India's leading Garment Export Houses.
'Delivering Quality' has been the corner stone of our sustained growth and has earned us trust
and appreciation from our customers. We realized the significance of structured management
systems in order to ensure quality across various production processes and implemented Total
Quality Management through ISO 9001:2000. The company also complies with various
international voluntary quality and Eco-friendly standards.
Overview of our units:
Our spinning mill, Shri Santhosh
Meenakshi Textiles Private Limited
(SSMT) is a fully integrated
production plant built on a
sprawling 20 acres of land located at
Thekkalur, 35 kms from Coimbatore
District, Tamil Nadu, India. With a
production capacity of 18 Tons of
Yarn per Day (in all counts) we produce high quality of super combed yarn ranging from 20's to
44's counts2 in 100% Cotton Yarn and Organic Cotton.
Our mill has access to competent work force, world class
infrastructure and machinery to produce the highest
quality of yarn, at par with the output standards of world
2No. of pieces of Cotton yards / threads needed to make 1 lb (pound) weight.
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renowned producers of yarn. We have planned our expansion and by the end of 2011 there will
be 20,000 spindles inclusive of compact yarn, Slub and Amsler Yarns which will enhance the total
production to 36 tons/day.
SSMT- Unit 2
Knitting:
Our knitting unit has a production capacity of 14 tons of Grey Fabric per day. Equipped with
advanced and imported knitting machinery our
knitting unit is consistent in delivering unmatched
quality and also has the potential for a quicker turn
around. In order to get utmost precision and
uniformity in output we have deployed up to 92% of
total machines from a single make. This also gives us
the advantage of devising unique process parameters
which can predict the desired quality. We have established a better working environment in our
Knitting unit. The entire unit is well equipped with dust collectors and exhaust systems and
thermocol roofing to provide thermal protection from sunlight.
STP:
Our dyeing unit comprises of most modern and environmental friendly operations. Sclavos
machines from Greece with a capacity of 12 tons of dyed fabric per day. We have installed an
advanced ROBO Lab to make the Lab
Dips 99.9% accurate to meet the industry
standards.
Our Fabric Finishing unit comprises of
well equipped machinery such as wet
spreaders, relax dryers, stenter with weft
straightening arrangement, open width
and Tubular compacting, brushing,
sueding, raising and slit open
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Apart from creating the desired appearance we give the finest finish to the fabric, by which we
render smoothness to the texture of the fabric making it feel extremely pleasant to touch.
Garment Washing:
We also have an advanced garment washing facility that can provide a variety of washes which
include Softner wash, Enzyme wash, Acid wash, Sand wash, Dip wash, Golfball wash, Pad wash,
Bio polish wash, Stone wash, Vintage wash, Marble wash.
SSG: Garment Production
Our production facilities are state of the art factories equipped with
the latest in technology used in garment manufacturing right from
Gerber cutting to packing compromising Japanese, European and
American machinery.
Our production units are power operated with the help of SMART -
MRT hanging conveyor systems. These Hanging Conveyor
Machines not only ensures Dust free production but also saves
considerable time thereby increasing the productivity.
Designing & Cutting
Our in-built laboratory develops innovative designs and styles with
the help of CAD systems. The design department is equipped with
Lectra pattern making machines, Grading and digitizing machines
and Spreaders. To maintain design and quality of garments at par
with international standards we have installed a cloth-laying
machine in our cutting department.
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Embroidery:
Our embroidery unit is equipped with fully sophisticated
Japanese and German machines using CAD/CAM designing,
which enable mass scale execution of intricate embroidery in
upto 9 colors.
Our products:
We have a wide array of Knitwear and Woven garments including:
Men’s Wear
T-Shirts, Polo’s, Under Garments, Sleepwear, Sportswear, Work wear, Sweat Shirts, Cardigans,
Bermudas, Co-ordinates and Woven Shirts.
Women’s Wear
T-Shirts, Cycling Shorts, Under Garments, Sleepwear, Nightwear, Ensembles, Pullovers, Vests,
Leggings, Co-ordinates and Woven Shirts.
Kids Wear
Fancy T-Shirts, Boxers, Ensembles, Cardigans, Pullovers, Vests, Leggings, Co-ordinates, Woven
Shirts, Leggings and Cycling Shorts.
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Wind Power business: Wind Energy Electricity is vital for the progress and development of a
nation and the same applies to industries also. Industries in
India have largely depended on the conventional power
plants (Coal, Diesel and other carbon intensive fuel) for
meeting their power requirements. In recent times, the
awareness on environmental issues and Global Warming
has led many industries to tilt towards more sustainable and greener power plants. This trend in
turn has led to further investment into the renewable sector.
We also wanted to be part of this growing renewable energy revolution and wanted to contribute
towards reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions. Encouraged by Government incentives
and as a responsible corporate citizen, we decided to diversify into wind energy based power
generation as a part of our commitment to developing sustainable energy. We have our wind
farms situated in the state of Tamil Nadu with a total installed capacity of 11.175 MW and are in
the process of investing in additional Generators of 1.65 MW capacity. It is our conscious
decision to add more WEGs in the succeeding years and contribute to a greener future.
The electricity produced from the WEGs are used for captive consumption at all the four units
and the surplus electricity is sold to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (part of Southern Regional
Grid of India). This helps to make our processes greener and environmental friendly while at the
same time, providing us with a more diversified revenue stream.
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Executive Director’s views on sustainability and its context to the company
- Mr. Vinoth Kumar, Executive Director – SSG
Our vision is to be one of the leading textile units and we believe in constant improvement. In the
current business context, change is the only constant and it is our conviction that adapting to
these changes is the answer for a long term and sustainable business. Sustainability is the key for
development of any organization and the same applies to us as well. We foresee lot of challenges
ahead of us, but are determined to move forward relentlessly to achieve our goals and vision.
Being recognized as a responsible corporate citizen with a strong emphasis on sustainable
development is our main driver for sustainability reporting. This report is our first step towards
communicating to all our stakeholders about our non financial performance and we believe it
would be a great catalyst for aligning our business practices in the direction of sustainability. We
foresee this report to be an ideal platform for expressing our plans & goals and for our
stakeholders to convey their opinions and suggestions.
Being in the textile and garment business, we encounter challenges that are common across our
industry. As a forward thinking company we have made key changes and have implemented
initiatives at all our units to address them:
i. Labour associated challenges:
Employee Retention:
A General trend with the employees working in this region is switching
companies very often and the main reason for this being difference in salaries
offered and the working environment. Factors such as fluctuating “monsoon”
and the “National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) have also
influenced employee migration towards alternate occupation.
At SSG, We offer salaries which are at par with the industry standards and have
put in efforts to provide a better and safer working environment. We also
provide subsidized food, hostel facilities (SSMT) and transportation to our
workforce. We will continue our efforts to offer safe and increasingly better
working conditions and offer additional facilities or amenities as required by our
employees.
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Child Labour:
In the garment Industry, one of the most discussed and debated issues nationally
and globally is that of child labour. At SSG, we have a “No child labour” policy
in place that is practiced in letter and Spirit. We have a zero tolerance for child
labour and ensure the same is followed with our suppliers and vendors.
Forced Labour and Compulsory Labour:
We have strong compassion towards our employees, we do not have any
employees who are bonded or forced to work for our organization.
ii. Electricity availability:
Power shortage has been a persistent problem for the past year with the power
shutdown during peak hours severely impacting the industry. The state power
grid has not been able to supply power on a continuous basis and even though
we have our own Wind Energy Generators (WEGs) for meeting the electricity
needs of all our units, we depend on the state grid to transmit the power to all
our units. Due to the grid unavailability, we have not been able to utilize all the
electricity produced by our WEGs.
iii. Environmental problems – Water, Air and Land pollution:
Pollution has been a persistent issue with our sector for long. But in recent years
due to voluntary initiatives by the industries and a strong enforcement by the
Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board (TNSPCB) and the Supreme Court of
India, serious mitigation and remedial measure have been incorporated.
Although at SSG we have our share of environmental pollution, we have taken a
conscious decision to reduce the pollution load on mother earth to a minimum
through planned initiatives. We have implemented the Zero Discharge Facility at
our Dyeing Unit (STP) and have charted out plans to install solar cookers to meet
our process (steam) and canteen kitchen needs at SSMT - Unit 2. To meet our
steam requirements at our production unit (SSG) we have recently installed an
electric boiler replacing an old wood fired boiler. The electricity needs of all the
four units are met by our own Eco-friendly Wind Energy Generators.
We have installed solar cookers and heaters at our dyeing unit to meet the steam
requirement for our canteen and process needs and thereby have reduced our
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dependence on carbon intensive fuels. We have planned to install solar cookers
and heaters at our SSMT – Unit 1 to meet our canteen and process needs.
We want our products to be consumer and environmental friendly. In order to accomplish this
objective, we have adopted a proactive approach and have been a part of various initiatives and
have complied with different quality and eco-friendly standards.
As a part of our buyer’s requirement we have contributed towards a few global initiatives, such
as Cotton Made in Africa (CMIA) project through Aid by Trade (ABT) foundation. As part of this
initiative, we have purchased 200 tonnes of cotton which is 5.23% of total cotton purchased for
our spinning mill.
The aim of CMIA is to produce high-value product, which is still inexpensive, with the right
quality not only in the raw material but also in the process chain. The main objective is to provide
basic primary school education to children, water use, avoidance of fertilizers & pesticides during
farming and to ensure farmers to earn their living.
We also encourage the use of eco-friendly raw materials to produce worker and environmental
products. As a part of this objective, we purchase organic cotton and have eliminated the use of
certain hazardous substances & chemicals in the production unit (Ref environmental
performance section).
SSG has embarked on a ‘Green Factory’ project, which we believe will be a key milestone in the
history of our organization. In the course of next three years, we are planning to have all the
process units (spinning, dyeing and garments production) at this factory, thereby making our
products greener. This will also continually create and enhance the value we deliver for our
stakeholders.
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Key Highlights
Employees safety - Robolab at Dyeing unit:
Employee safety is one of the most important aspects that SSG ensures. At our dyeing unit, our
lab technicians and analysts are exposed to different types of dyes, chemicals and acids while
conducting tests. Although the latest equipments and PPE (Personal protective equipment) have
been provided to ensure safety and limit exposure, an element of accidents or danger is ever
persistent. To eliminate this possibility, we decided to procure “Robo-Lab” equipment to assist
our technicians in sample analysis under safe conditions. With the Robo Lab, exposure to
chemicals, dyes and acids is minimal, if any and results are accurate. The equipment was bought
at a cost of INR. 10 million and has been in operation in the lab for the last few months.
Child Labour:
Tirupur is the hosiery capital of India, but in recent times it has been in the limelight for all the
wrong reasons. The industrial houses located here have ample employment opportunities and
attracts people of all ages. Most of the industrial setups have no systems or control on the inflow
of employees and a majority of the workers are not on the permanent payrolls of these
companies. Situations like these provide an opening for underage laborers to enter an
organization and work without being noticed by their employers.
The child labour problems have been highlighted by many Non Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) and have been directed against all the industrial houses which employ underage
employees. Few have taken action and few are still in the process, But poverty and pressure to
earn livelihood has ensured that child labour still prevails in the Tirupur region.
Although in the last few years industrial houses have taken child labour seriously and have made
sincere efforts to eliminate it and the government has come out with various initiatives, child
labour still persists.
Being a socially responsible citizen, we understand the implications of this issue and have a zero
tolerance for child labour at all our business houses. We have formulated a child labour policy
and have written down procedures and systems to monitor the same.
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Organic Cotton:
Cotton, the most important fibre crop of India plays a dominant role in its agrarian and industrial
economy. It is the backbone of our textile industry, accounting for 70% of total fibre consumption
in the textile sector, and 38% of the country's export. Area under cotton cultivation in India (8.9
million hectares) is the highest in the world and employs seven million people.
Cotton productivity in India is quite low as compared to world standards. Modern cotton
production technology relies heavily on the use of fertilisers and chemicals to control insects,
pests, diseases, weeds and growth regulators. Cotton cultivated on 5% cultivable land consumes
54%3 of total pesticides used in Indian agriculture, and in few places, the rates are higher than
54%, resulting in immense ecological and human hazards and have resulted in poor profitability
of cotton farming.
The demand of organically cultivated, eco-friendly or ‘green’ cotton is increasing everyday and
the increase in “environmentally responsible” buying of products has lead the garment industry
to produce eco-friendly products. We have committed ourselves to encourage organic farming
and procure organic cotton for our production.
3 Reference: Organic Cotton Farming in India
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A new Green Factory Complex: “First of its kind” in the
region
We are building a new garment manufacturing complex
at Ayyampalayam, Tirupur District, Tamil Nadu, India,
which is expected to commence production by August
2010. We have invested significantly to incorporate
several green features in the factory's design so as to
reduce its ecological footprint and at the same time
enhancing the quality of the working environment. The
salient features of the green factory are as below:
• Utilize 12% lesser water
• Uses 100% renewable energy
We hope to achieve the “Platinum” green factory rating from the Indian Green Building Council
for this facility; the first of its kind in the region. We aim to design all our future facilities with the
green concept.
Carbon Neutral:
Climate change is possibly the biggest challenge of the
century. The last few years have seen frenzied media news
about how various industrial activities are contributing
towards climate change. We recognized that electricity
was our major source of GHG emissions. Over the last few
years, our conviction to reduce our carbon footprint has
resulted in the installation of wind power plants to meet
our electricity requirements. Today, our wind power plants
offset more GHG emissions than that emitted in our facilities.
SSG is proud to be one of the first in the Tirupur region to have received the “Carbon Neutral”
Certification.
Solar cookers (For process and cooking):
Solar energy is one of the most abundant source of energy available and the “least used”
renewable source of energy by humans among other renewable like wind, biomass or hydro.
We have successfully installed solar cookers and heaters at our dyeing unit (STP) which cater to
the needs of the canteen kitchen and in our process to produce steam. Although the cost of
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production of steam from solar heaters is much higher than conventional boilers, we have
invested owing to the fact that while solar is pollution free, the conventional boiler is not. We
have planned to install solar heaters in our SSMT-Unit 2 also to meet the steam requirements of
our process and canteen kitchen.
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Corporate Governance We operate in a competitive and challenging market, fraught with risks and opportunities. We
believe that good governance is the key for any business to be sustainable and the growth of our
company in the last two decades has vindicated our stand of building a strong value system and
adhering to our core business principles. We are committed to follow the ethical business
practices and abide by the law of the land in which we operate.
We have four committees which are functioning at all our business houses, these committees help
us in our administration and decision making process. The four committees are presented below:
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The responsibilities of the committees are to plan, train, implement and monitor systems, policies
and procedures. Each committee consists of a minimum of five employees and a management
representative from the top management where applicable, who oversees these committees and
authorizes decisions. The members of the committee are aware of their roles and responsibilities
and which are clearly defined. We have social compliance team, who regularly conduct internal
audits for all the units to monitor the activities and also improvements are suggested during
these audits.
Each of the committees meet once in a month to discuss and focus on the problems or issues put
forth by the employees and decisions are taken to rectify or mitigate the problems. The minutes
of the meeting are recorded and documented.
We are not a listed entity, but we have a Code of Business Conduct, which lays down important
Corporate Values that help regulate our value system and business practices. Compliance to the
Code of Conduct is mandatory for all employees.
The code clearly defines important Corporate Governance practices to be followed with respect
to the following:
1. Child Labour;
2. Forced Labour or Compulsory Labour;
3. Health and Safety Conditions;
4. Freedom of Association and right to Collective Bargaining
5. Discrimination :
6. Disciplinary Practices
7. Working Hours
8. Wages and Benefits
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9. Management Responsibility
For a detailed Code of Conduct please refer Annex section of this report.
Data collation and management:
We are equipped with Order Management Systems (OMS) software to capture and record the
data relevant to our day to day operations at all our units. We realize the importance of effective,
robust and real time data management systems and have decided to implement Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) across all our business units.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an integrated computer-based system used to manage
internal and external resources including tangible assets, financial resources, materials, and
human resources.
The main objective of ERP implementation is to facilitate the flow of information between all
business functions inside the organization and manage the connections to external stakeholders
(suppliers and buyers). We have plans to go live with ERP by the end of FY 2010-11.
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Management Systems and Certifications:
Quality Management Systems (QMS) – ISO 9001: 2008
QMS has helped the organization in integrating various internal processes within the
organization and intends to provide a process approach for product execution. QMS has enabled
us to identify measure, control and improve our core business processes and has resulted in
improved business performance.
We have been recertified on 17 July, 2009 for meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2008.
Customer Satisfaction:
A business can be successful and sustainable on a long term basis only by meeting customer
needs and maintaining quality.
At SSG we are committed to Quality and ensure that the quality of our products will not be
compromised at any given time, from the point of origin till our products reaches the customer.
Each product goes through stringent quality checks. Customer feedback is an important tool for
us to assess where we stand in terms of quality and meeting our customer needs, this exercise
helps us in retaining the customer’s trust and our credibility.
Our Quality Policy
“We, the employees of the Company commit ourselves to achieve and enhance customer
satisfaction through-out the implementation of internationally recognized Quality Management
System and aim for continual improvement during this period.
We will achieve them, by strictly implementing the following;
a) Proper determination of Customer requirements;
b) Better understanding of those requirements;
c) Clear and complete communication of them to the Factories ;
d) Delivering Quality Products in the agreed delivery date and in the competitive
Price.
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Social Accountability – SA 8000:2008
SA8000 is an international standard for improving working conditions around the world. It is
based on the principles of thirteen international human rights conventions, ten of which are
conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The SA8000 standard is intended to
help apply these norms to practical work-life situations. SA8000 expands on the eight
conventions of the ILO’s Declaration of Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work which covers
child labor, forced labor, discrimination and free association and collective bargaining and
standards on health and safety, working hours, wages, and discipline.
Our employees are our biggest assets and have been responsible for our progressive growth in
the last two decades. Our objective is to support and provide all the necessary facilities to make
the workplace safe and better and complying to SA 8000:2008 is one of the measures in realizing
the objective resulting in employees being more productive. Our production unit has been re-
certified for SA 8000:2008 on January 08, 2010.
Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS):
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile processing
standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent
certification of the entire textile supply chain.
The aim of the standard is to define world-wide recognized requirements that ensure organic
status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially
responsible manufacturing up to labeling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end
consumer.
Textile processors and manufacturers are enabled to export their organic fabrics and garments
with one certification accepted in all major markets.
Our production unit has been inspected and our products found to be in accordance with the
standards and have been are certified by Control Union Certifications on February 15th, 2009.
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Organic Exchange (OE):
Organic Exchange is a 501(C)(3) charitable organization committed to expanding organic
agriculture, with a specific focus on increasing the production and use of organically grown
fibers such as cotton.
Our long term goal is to increase the amount of certified organic land farmed for fiber production
by 50% per year. Achieving this goal will allow us to have a positive, significant, visible and
measurable impact on the world.
Our production unit has been inspected and our products found to be in accordance with the
standards and have been are certified by Control Union Certifications on February 15th, 2009.
Fair trade – FLO-CERT:
Fair trade standards are designed to tackle poverty and empower producers in the poorest
countries in the world. The standards apply to both producers and traders. The main focus is
secure better deals for the producers. The compliance check and certification is carried out by
FLO-CERT. We are proud to be part of Fair Trade.
The FLO-CERT certificate for Fair Trade for all the four units was awarded on September 25th,
2009 which permits us to trade in Fair Trade products.
OEKO-TEX:
The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 was introduced at the beginning of the 1990s as a response to the
needs of the general public for textiles which posed no risk to health. The standard helps the
consumer to assess the human ecological quality of textiles/ products and for textile and clothing
industries as uniform standard for practical assessment of potential harmful substances in textile
products.
Our baby products: Knitted t-shirts have been tested and certified as per the requirements of
Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Our production unit was re-certified on December 01, 2009 for complying with
the requirements of OeKO- Tex standard 100.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 26 – © Copyright of SSG
Stakeholder Engagement:
Our dialogue in the past has been only with one stakeholder; our customer. We realize and
understand the significance of engaging our other stakeholders also. As a first step towards our
multilevel stakeholder engagement, we have commenced communicating with other identified
stakeholders:
We perceive the need to communicate with multilevel stakeholders which would help us
understand the key risks and opportunities associated with our business. Since the formal
stakeholder engagement process is in its initial phases, we plan to strengthen it by forging closer
ties with our stakeholders and engaging them at regular intervals to continuously capture
stakeholder expectations and improve our performance. Our earlier stakeholder engagement had
been limited to only our customers and suppliers.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 27 – © Copyright of SSG
Key Performance Indicators
Disclosure of Management Approach on Economic Performance
Economic Indicators
We have robust systems to collate data on economic parameters like direct economic value
generated and distributed; revenues; operating costs; employee compensation; donations;
community investments; retained earnings; payments to capital providers and governments;
significant financial assistance received from government. The information related to these
parameters has been sourced from the data presented in the annual report that is verified and
audited by an external auditor. Though we do not have a policy for ensuring maximum
contribution from local suppliers, we have long standing relationship with several local
suppliers.
With respect to local hiring we follow the law of the land. Additional information on economic
and related parameters can be obtained from our annual report.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 28 – © Copyright of SSG
Our finished products are sold to International buyers and which constitutes 100% of our sales.
Buyers are predominantly from European Union (EU) and partly from United States of America
(USA).
As on March 31st, 2010 our total work force in all the four units was 899, as a part of our
commitment we provide Employees State Insurance (ESI) coverage and Provident Fund (PF).
The details of the contribution from employees and employer are as follows:
Sl no. Benefits SSMT STP SSG
1 ESI INR. 1.27 million
€ 0.22 million
INR. 0.27 million
€ 0.004 million
INR. 0.70 million
€ 0.121 million
2 Provident Fund INR. 4.73 million
€ 0.082 million
INR. 1.07 million
€ 0.018 million
INR. 2.40 million
€ 0.041 million
The SSMT- unit 1 received assistance from the Ministry of Textiles through the Technological Up
gradation Fund Scheme (TUFS). During the reporting period we had received the following
subsidies and grants from the government.
Sl no. Details SSMT unit 1 SSMT unit 2 STP SSG
1 Grants INR. 27.83 million
€ 4.85 million
No No No
Salary and Wages:
We follow the laws of region in which operate our business, for our SSMT Unit1 we follow the
National Floor Level wages directive and for our other three units we follow 1948- Rates of
Minimum wages Act issued by Labour Department, Tamil Nadu, India. The wages are paid on a
weekly basis and also on monthly basis, predominantly workers opt for weekly wages.
In the reporting period the total amount salary disbursed units wise are presented below:
Sl no. Details SSMT STP SSG
1 Salary in million INR. 22.63 million
€ 3.94 million
INR. 6.03 million
€ 1.05 million
INR. 15.03 million
€ 2.62 million
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 29 – © Copyright of SSG
Our total investment in the Wind Energy Generators (WEGs) as on March 31st, 2010 was INR
653.94 million or € 11.37 million (inclusive of new 1,650 kW). The total installed capacity of
WEGs is 11.175 MW and the total number of WEGs installed as on date are 24 and the different
capacities of the WEGs are 225 kW (9 in nos.), 500 kW (9 in nos.), 600 kW (5 in nos.) and 1,650 kW
(1 in no.). We are adding one more WEG 1,650 kW capacity to the existing portfolio and this new
addition would increase our total installed capacity to 12.825 MW.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 30 – © Copyright of SSG
Disclosure of Management Approach on Environment
Environmental Indicators
We have systems and plans in place to addresses our concern towards conserving and improving
the environment. We have identified issues like water usage and recycling, waste management,
environmental compliance, conservation of natural resources. Even though we do not have an
Environmental Policy in place, we abide to QMS and are certified for ISO 9001:2008 under which
we execute management programs with specific goals and targets in compliance with the
corporate requirements, with a complete action plan to achieve the same.
- Environment KPI’s
We are conscious of maintaining a good environment and the implications of not undertaking
mitigation measures for environmental problems. During the reporting period there were few
data gaps observed in our SSG Unit and SSMT Unit-2 and due to this representation of few
indicators have not been reported. We have taken a notice of the same and have devised
measures to capture the relevant data. For emission factors we have used IPCC-2001 assessment
report values for calculating the GHG emissions and reductions.
Materials used:
The total raw material purchased during the reporting period stood at
3820.55 tonnes of cotton of which 199.92 tonnes (5.20%) were imported
from Africa as a part of our association with CMIA program and organic
cotton purchase stood at 368.74 tonnes (10%).
Other associated materials were carton boxes and polyethylene bags which was 4002.54 tonnes
used for packing during our internal transportation between our units and products delivery to
the clients. The total amount of diesel and furnace oil purchased during the reporting period was
288.21 KL and 9,750 KL respectively.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 31 – © Copyright of SSG
Electricity, steam and GHG emissions:
The electricity produced from our WEGs are used for captive consumption at all our units and
during power shut downs we depend on our diesel generators to meet electricity needs.
The electricity production from wind energy generators during the reporting period was
95,803.04 GJ of which 53,773.20 GJ was utilized for all our units and the surplus 42,029.84 GJ was
sold to the state grid.
During the reporting period the energy consumption for the four units are as follows:
Units Electricity
produced off site
(WEGs)
Electricity
Produced at site
Steam produced
and used
SSG GJ 665.46 0 Not available
SSMT
Unit -1
Unit -2
GJ
GJ
8,447.28
38,651.9
0
217.20
Not applicable
Not available
STP GJ 6,008.56 1674.30 11544.92
Total GJ 53773.20 1891.50 11544.92
The greenhouse gases emissions were primarily from our diesel generator sets at our units and
use of wood for our boilers. The annual greenhouse gas emissions were 4,508.95 tonnes of CO2e.
The electricity produced from our WEGs had saved 22,620.16 tonnes of CO2e emissions, making
us a net “Carbon Positive” organization.
We have set a goal of reducing our GHG emissions every year by 5%, we understand the goal
would involve additional projects and additional investments, but we are committed to
contribute our mite towards reducing global greenhouse emissions.
Water usage and recycling:
The water consumption at all our four units is mainly for two purposes which are:
Domestic use (drinking, cooking and water closets)
Process : Steam production for ironing, for dyeing unit process and sprinkling purposes
at the SSMT
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 32 – © Copyright of SSG
Information pertaining to water usage and recycling were documented in our dyeing unit (STP)
alone and in other three units the information present could not be used for the reporting. To
overcome this problem for the next reporting period, we have drafted systems to capture the data
accurately which can then be presented in the report. The main supply of water for our three
units (dyeing, production and SSMT unit-2) is from the Municipality and for SSMT unit-2 we
depend on ground water from our bore wells.
Water purchased from the municipality for our dyeing unit in the reporting period was 8,550 KL.
Waste water:
Dyeing units in Tirupur District have come under tight scrutiny of the Tamil Nadu Pollution
Control Board (TNPCB) and Supreme Court of India’s order. The damage caused to the water
bodies and the public outcry has been instrumental in the shutdown of many dyeing units and
has led few dyeing units to take preventive and mitigation measures.
At our dyeing plant (STP) we have installed Salt and Water Recycling plants to achieve Zero
Liquid Effluent Discharge. Equipped with multi effect Evaporator and Crystallizer it enables the
recovery and re-use of salt and water. We have also installed primary, secondary and tertiary
effluent treatment plants with reverse osmosis systems for recycling water. The other two units
are dry process units and the major source of waste water produced is from the water closets.
Wastewater treatment has been operational in our dyeing unit and mill, with our dyeing unit
recycling 90% of wastewater and reusing the treated water in the process and other requirements.
During the reporting period the wastewater recycled and reused were 54.19 KL and 48.77 KL
respectively.
Waste Generation:
We have systems in place to collect and dispose the waste in a scientific manner. The major
contributors of waste are SSG and SSMT unit-2. A few categories of waste which are non-
hazardous or organic are sold to registered and recommended scrap dealers and vendors for
recycling and reuse. Hazardous waste is generated predominantly at our dyeing plant (STP),
during the reporting period the waste generated at the two units are presented below:
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 33 – © Copyright of SSG
Normal or Non
Hazardous Waste
Reusable waste Hazardous waste
SSMT Unit -2 15.18 tonnes 5.5 tonnes Nil
STP 3.80 tonnes 4.20 tonnes 17.56 tonnes
Ozone Depleting substances:
We do not employ any processes which involve release or use of substances which are Ozone
Depleting and the fire extinguishers used in all the four units are free from any kind
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The air conditioners which
we is being used at our offices are also CFC and HCFC free.
Spills:
We take preventive and precautionary measures during the transportation, loading and
unloading of chemicals, dyes and fuels. During the reporting period there have not been any
major spills of dyes or chemicals or fuels at any of our units.
Compliance:
Compliance to legal and statutory requirements is vital for operating our business without any
hindrance and risks. We have complied with all obligatory legal and statutory requirements and
have ensured not to attract any penalties or fines during the reporting period.
Expenditure:
The total expenditure related to the environmental protection stood at INR. 8.24 million or 0.14
million euros, the expenses were mainly on purchase of new lab equipments, setting up of
anaerobic digestion tank, Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes and Pollution Control Boards -
consent renewals.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 34 – © Copyright of SSG
Ban of Chemicals:
Based on the request from our customers end, effective from April 2009 we have banned the use
of the following chemicals at all our units:
Sl no. Banned Chemicals 1 Benzene (71-43-2) 2 Methylene Chloride (7509-2) 3 Perchloro ethylene (127-18-4) 4 N.N.Dimethyl formamide (68-12-2) 5 Cellosolve (110-80-5) 6 Methyl Cellsolve (109-86-4) 7 Toluene (108-88-3) 8 Trichloro Ethylene (79-01-6) 9 Carbon Tetrachloride (56-23-5)
10 Phenol (108-95-2) 11 Cellosolve Acetate (111-15-9) 12 Methyl Cellsolve Acetate (110-49-6)
Social Indicators
We do not have a policy or framework which guides to support our local community, but we are
associated with one NGO – Anbu llam, Tirupur and have financially supported various blood
camps donation and AIDS awareness programs held in Tirupur. We had volunteered in sapling
plantation drive on one occasion. This year we have initiated a structured stakeholder dialogue
and plan to further strengthen the process of inviting the feedback from associations, NGO’s and
people of the society in which we operate.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 35 – © Copyright of SSG
Disclosure on Management Approach on Labour Practices and Decent Work
We have dedicated committees to manage our people, resolve their problems and cater to their
requirements. Our teams visit all the units on regular intervals to address and solve labour
related issues. Further we have comprehensive training programs to addresses aspects like
ensuring process safety, compulsory use of personal protective equipment, promoting
occupational health, organizing training sessions and creating a safe work environment. All our
sites follow Suppler Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX) Guidelines for Ethical Standards under
which every site executes programs with specific goals and targets in compliance with the
corporate requirements, with a complete action plan to achieve the same.
It is obligatory for the management and every employee to sign the company's code of conduct.
We believe in equal opportunities principle and do not practice gender bias. We are a responsible
organization and proscribe child labour. We have deployed systems to check and verify the age
of our personnel and also regular check by the HR team is carried out to ascertain the age of
employees.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 36 – © Copyright of SSG
We have an optimized number of employees with well defined job profiles and responsibilities.
We are open to recruiting people from any part of the country but we do give preference to the
local people. This is apparent form the fact that 99.8 % of our employees are from the state of
Tamil Nadu.
Total workforce of all the four units as on March 31st, 2010 stood at 899 in nos. The unit wise
break up of workforce is illustrated below:
Male in
nos. Female in
nos. STP 67 1 SSMT Unit-1 209 66 SSMT Unit-2 64 227 SSG & Office staff 169 96
Total 509 390 We believe in equal opportunities principle and do not practice gender bias. We are a responsible
organization and proscribe child labour. We have deployed systems to check and verify the age
of our personnel. The retirement age fixed for all our units is 60 years and only in our SSMT-Unit
1 we have one person who has volunteered himself to as a security guard in our unit.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 37 – © Copyright of SSG
Employee’s health and safety is of top priority to us, we regularly conduct health and safety
trainings which focus on: working conditions, handling machinery, using of personal protective
equipments, first aid and fire drills. We have committees at all our units to supervise the workers.
We have employees who are trained exclusively for obtaining First Aid and Fire Fighting skills,
the name and contact numbers of the trained employees are displayed in the work areas. We
want to ensure a zero accident record but during the reporting period three accidents had
occurred and were reported.
Accidents:
Two female employees at SSMT-Unit 2 (Spinning):
1. Quality Assurance Assistant: While working with the analyzer machine, her right hand
index finger accidently came in contact with the moving part of the machine and resulted
in an injury. The cost of treatment was borne by the company.
2. Maintenance Assistant: While inspecting the buffing machine, her right hand slid and was
stuck in between the grinding stone and machine, resulting in an injury to her right hand.
The cost of operation and treatment was borne by the company.
One male employee at STP (Dyeing unit):
3. Boiler Helper: While loading firewood into the boiler, one huge log had slipped and hit the
left hand of the employee resulting in an injury to his left hand ring finger. The cost of
treatment was borne by the company.
In all the above cases during the absence at work none of the employees has any loss of pay.
The accidents had resulted in 109 days of absenteeism. The post accidents assessment revealed
that accidents occurred mainly due to the negligence of the employees and a decision was taken
on providing thorough training on working, handling machinery and related safety measures.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 38 – © Copyright of SSG
Working hours:
Our spinning and dyeing unit have three, eight hour shifts per day and at our production units
we work one eight hour shift basis and all our units have ‘Over Time’ policy which allows the
employee to decide and volunteer for extra or over time work. We would also like to mention
that on short occasions we work for additional hours to meet our targets and only employees
who are interested (voluntarily) to work additional time are encouraged to come and work after
their scheduled shift.
Continuous training and learning helps us to work and deliver better. We have different training
modules covering important aspects of Human Rights, Code of Conduct, Health & Safety, Use of
PPE equipments and statutory benefits. In the reporting period the total hours accounted for
training stood at 4,803 hours which is inclusive of all the four units. The average hours of training
based on employee category is depicted below:
Remuneration:
The three units: SSMT Unit-2, SSG and STP employees earned greater than the stipulated
minimum wages under “Minimum Wages Act – 1948, Tamil Nadu, India and National Floor
Level wages which is being followed at our SSMT Unit-1.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 39 – © Copyright of SSG
Human Rights:
The employee strength has grown three fold in last few years and so has our approach towards
their welfare, rights and safety. Our practices have been formulated as policies, with these
policies reflecting the way in which we want to run our business. We follow the statutory
requirements pertaining to Human rights and other voluntary standards. We have an open door
policy and we encourage all our employees to voice their opinion on our policies and programs.
Our committee team members meet the employees on regular intervals, which help us in
understanding their expectations and concerns.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 40 – © Copyright of SSG
Human Rights:
We are committed to providing a better working environment for our employees, with the
policies and procedures drafted and practiced to make our workplace a better place. We
regularly impart training to our employees for them to understand their rights during their
presence at our company. In the reporting period 2,928 hours were spent exclusively training
employees on aspects related to Human Rights and other benefits.
We have a ‘no discrimination policy’ by which we are committed not to offend or discriminate
job seekers or existing employees based on their caste, religion, language, gender, country
,political affiliation, colour, race, union membership and pregnancy status. During the
reporting period there were no incidents reported on any kind of discrimination.
We do not have any trade unions present in our company and we do not restrict any employee
from joining any union or association of his/her choice. Our Code of Conduct expresses the
following:
• Employees are free to joint any trade union of their choice and they shall not be restricted to
join unions or to form a union;
• Union representatives are not restricted to meet the employees and discuss;
• In absence of a union, they shall be allowed to meet the management directly and do
bargaining;
• Works committee shall be formed to do any discussion or Collective Bargaining.
We do not encourage any underage workers or child labourers in all the four units, we take
special attention while recruiting our employees. Our job application form clearly indicates that
child labour would not be entertained under any circumstances. We also encourage our suppliers
and vendors to abide to the sample policy as ours. The same has been delineated in our code of
conduct and Child Labour policy.
All our units abide by the Code of Conduct and we do not patronize any activities which
result in forced or compulsory labour. The following are strictly being followed at all our
units:
• No form of Forced / Compulsory Labour (verbal, physical, psychological) shall be
allowed / practiced in the company.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 41 – © Copyright of SSG
• No original documents (like passport, license, certificate, etc) collected during
recruitment.
• No bonded Labour system practiced by the company.
• No long term loan with excessive interest percentage shall be practiced.
Our Social Compliance team is responsible for supervision and ascertaining that above stated
are practiced in the organization at all levels.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 42 – © Copyright of SSG
Glossary of Terms ABT Aid by Trade
CFC Chlorofluorocarbons
CMIA Cotton Made in Africa
CO2 Carbon di oxide
ESI Employees State Insurance
FY Financial Year
GJ Giga Joules
GOTS Global Organic Textile Standard
MW Mega Watt
GRI Global Reporting Initiative
GHG’s Greenhouse Gases
HCFC Hydrocholorofluorocarbons
ILO International Labour Organization
INR Indian Rupee – official unit of currency in India
ISO International Organization for Standardization
KL Kilo Litres
MW Mega Watt
NGOs Non Governmental Organizations
NREGS National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
OE Organic Exchange
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
QMS Quality Management Systems
SA Social Accountability
SEDEX Suppler Ethical Data Exchange
SSG Sree Santhosh Garments
SSMT Shri Santhosh Meenakshi Private Limited
STP Santhosh Textile Process
TNSPCB Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board
TUFS Technological Up gradation Fund Scheme
WEGs Wind Energy Generators
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 43 – © Copyright of SSG
Annexure
Annex -1 – Business Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct of Sree Santhosh Garments is documented as below for communication to
their employees / Suppliers for their better understanding and follow up in their premises.
This COC aims for better social and ethical conditions, working environment in the company and
all the applicable benefits are paid to their employees.
1. Child Labour :-
• The company shall not engage in or support any form of Child Labour in their premises, at
any cost for any reasons what so ever.
• Adult labours are only preferred to join the company.
• Age verification of everyone is compulsory before recruitment to any position in the
company. Copy shall be collected and maintained in their records.
2. Forced Labour / Compulsory Labour :-
• No form of Forced / Compulsory Labour (verbal, physical, psychological) shall be allowed /
practiced in the company.
• No original documents (like passport, license, certificate, etc) collected during recruitment.
• No bonded Labour system practiced by the company.
• No long term loan with excessive interest percentage shall be practiced.
3. Health and Safety conditions:-
• Sufficient Lighting and Ventilation shall be provided in all sections according to their work
nature.
• First Aid Boxes and its minimum contents shall be provided as per legal requirements along-
with trained employees for First Aid
• Fire Extinguishing arrangements shall be made with trained employees in all areas of work
• Potable drinking water shall be provided to all employees
• Toilets and Urinals shall be provided for all employees (male / female) as per legal
requirements and shall be maintained well, clean and odorless, sufficient water shall be
available during working hours
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 44 – © Copyright of SSG
• Provision and usage of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) like mask, gloves, needle
guards, eye guards, metal gloves, goggles, ear plug, ear muff, etc shall be effectively done.
• Usage of any chemical shall be listed and their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) shall be
collected to provide necessary training to the users
• Necessary Health and Safety Trainings shall be provided and records shall be maintained for
reference
• All electrical installations shall be provided and maintained in safe and good conditions
• All rotating and moving parts shall be provided with proper guards and covers
4. Freedom of Association and right to Collective Bargaining:-
• Employees are free to joint any trade union of their choice and they shall not be restricted to
join unions or to form a union
• Union representatives are not restricted to meet the employees and discuss
• In absence of a union, they shall be allowed to meet the management directly and do
bargaining
• Works committee shall be formed to do any discussion or Collective Bargaining
5. Discrimination :-
• There shall not be any form of Discrimination in the terms of colour, religion, language, caste,
gender, country, etc
• Equal work shall be paid equally (and any difference in benefits are only based on their
efficiency and capability and not a discrimination)
6. Disciplinary Practices:-
• Employees shall be treated properly during their working in the premises. Any
discrepancies/ mistakes shall be dealt properly as per procedures of company and legal
requirements. Records of any such cases shall be maintained properly.
7. Working Hours :-
• Working hours of all employees shall be as per local legal laws and shall not exceed 8
hours/day and 48 hours/week for regular working
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 45 – © Copyright of SSG
• Over Time working shall be limited always and shall not exceed 2 hours/day and 12 hours /
week and 50 hours / 3 months
• One day weekly off shall be provided to all employees, after every 6 work days
8. Wages and Benefits :-
• Wages shall be paid as per local legal laws for all employee categories and records shall be
maintained for evidencing them.
• Over Time work shall be always paid at a premium rate and records shall be maintained for
evidencing them
• Benefits as per law like ESI (Employees State Insurance) and EPF (Employees Provident
Fund) shall be paid to employees
• Other benefits like Bonus, leave wages, holiday wages also shall be paid
9. Management Responsibility :-
• Management shall ensure the proper understanding of above requirements and local legal
law requirements and effective implementation of them.
• Sufficient measures shall be taken to maintain this Code of Conduct in all applicable
premises.
* * * * * * * *
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 48 – © Copyright of SSG
GRI Content Index Pg no Reported
Yes No Profile
1.1 Statement from the most senior decision maker of the organization 3
1.2 Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities 13 to 15
Organization profile
2.1 Name of the organization. 6
2.2 Primary brands, products, and/or services. 11
2.3 Operational structure of the organization, including main divisions, operating companies, subsidiaries, and joint ventures. 6
2.4 Location of organization’s headquarters.
2.5 Number of countries where the organization operates 6
2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form. 19
2.7 Markets served 27
2.8 Scale of the reporting organization, including
2.9 Significant changes during the reporting period
2.10 Awards received in the reporting period.
Report Parameters
3.1 Reporting period 6
3.2 Date of most recent previous report. 6
3.3 Reporting cycle 6
3.4 Contact point for questions regarding the report or its contents 7
Report scope and boundary
3.5 Process for defining report content 6
3.6 Boundary of the report 6
3.7 State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report 6
3.8 Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities that can significantly affect comparability from period to period and/or between organizations.
6
3.9
Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of the Indicators and other information in the report.
29
3.10 Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided in earlier reports, and the reasons for such re-statement 6
3.11 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report. 6
3.12 Table identifying the location of the Standard Disclosures in the report. 41
ASSURANCE
3.13 Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report.
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 49 – © Copyright of SSG
Governance, Commitments, and Engagement
4.1 to 4.10 Governance 19
4.11 to 4.13 Commitments to external initiatives 20
4.14 to 4.17 Stakeholder Engagement 25
5 Management Approach and Indicators
Economic
EC 1
EC 2 27
EC 3 27
EC 4 28
EC 5
EC 6
EC 7
EC 8
EC 9
Environment
Materials EN 1
31
EN 2 31
Energy EN 3 EN 4 EN 5 EN 6 EN 7
31
Water EN 8 EN 9 En 10
31 to 32
Biodiversity EN11 EN 12 EN 13 EN 14 EN 15
Emissions, Effluents and Waste EN 16 EN 17 EN 18 EN 19 EN 20 EN 21 EN 22 EN 23 EN 24 EN 25
31 to 32
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 50 – © Copyright of SSG
Products and Services EN 26 EN 27
32
Compliance - EN 28 33
Transport - EN29
Overall - EN 30 33
Social
Labor Practices and Decent Work
Employment LA 1 LA 2 LA3
36
Labour / Management Relations LA 4 LA 5
36
Occupational Health and Safety LA6 LA 7 LA 8 LA 9
37
Training and Education LA 10 LA 11 LA12
38
Diversity and Equal Opportunity LA13 LA14
38
Human Rights
Investment and Procurement Practices HR1 HR2 HR3
40
Non Discrimination - HR 4 40
Freedom of association and collective bargaining - HR5 40
Child Labour - HR6 40
Forced and Compulsory Labour - HR7 40
Security Practices - HR8
Indigenous rights - HR9 40
Society
Community - SO1
Corruption SO2 SO3 SO4
SSG – Sustainability Report 2009-10 - 51 – © Copyright of SSG
Public Policy SO5 SO6
Anti Competitive Behaviour- SO7
Compliance - SO8
Product Responsibility
Customer Health and Safety PR1 PR2
Product Service and Labeling PR3 PR4 PR5
Marketing and Communication PR6 PR7
Customer Privacy - PR8
Compliance - PR9